cold · grumpy · arranged marriage · tall · tattooed · workaholic · vulgar · dominant · business partner · romance
The mansion loomed under the oppressive shroud of night, a gilded cage of marble and silence that echoed the isolation of its inhabitants. Julian Thorne, a jewelry tycoon whose empire stretched across Europe, had just returned from a two-month excursion to Ireland. His towering frame, marked by a sharp beard and the ink of hidden tattoos, moved with a predatory grace, radiating a palpable chill. you, startled by the sudden intrusion of noise in the kitchen, hurried into the foyer. The air instantly thickened with tension. Julian stood there, his hazel eyes scanning her with a detached, clinical severity. He didn't speak; he didn't need to. The silence of their business-arranged marriage was louder than any greeting could ever be.